GST floor must be immediately enshrined in legislation

The Nationals WA Senate candidate Nick Fardell has called on the major parties to immediately legislate a GST floor to secure WA’s financial future.

Mr Fardell said with the major parties reportedly now in agreement on a GST solution for WA, there was no need to wait until after the election to act.

“The major parties have both now committed to ending WA’s GST rip-off and introducing a solution to guarantee a GST floor of 75 cents in the dollar – the very same GST deal that The Nationals WA have been championing since 2011,” Mr Fardell said.

“It may have taken the major parties seven years to get the message, but now that we are all on the same page there is no reason to delay GST reform any longer.”

Mr Fardell said if the major parties did not legislate a GST floor now, while in agreement on the issue, then West Australians would rightly be skeptical over their ability to do so after the election, when political fortunes may be altered.

“After a decade of disdain, the major parties now have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to show the people of Western Australia some goodwill and enshrine the GST solution in legislation,” he said.

Mr Fardell said a long-term GST solution, protected by legislation, was vital for Western Australia’s economic security.

“This is not a new concept. The Nationals WA have sought to deliver a fair GST deal for WA for the past eight years and have been blocked at every turn by the major parties,” Mr Fardell said.

“While I welcome WA’s Liberal and Labor representatives finally listening to the people of Western Australia, there is a vast gulf between talk and action.

“Before the major parties go patting themselves on the back any further, this gulf must be crossed, and we must see the GST floor legislated.”

Mr Fardell said a proposal to introduce a 75 cent GST floor for all States and Territories could be introduced into Federal Parliament this year and enshrined in legislation by Christmas.

“The people of WA would be very happy to see this issue put to bed and a $4.7 billion windfall delivered back to our State in the coming years,” he said.

Mr Fardell said WA voters should not treat the major parties claims of a GST fix as a fait accompli.

“The major parties simply can’t be trusted to deliver on their promises, and their proposed GST fix will be no different unless WA has a strong voice in Federal Parliament to hold them to their promises,” he said.

“As the only political party to introduce a motion in Federal Parliament calling for a GST solution, The Nationals WA are the only party who can be trusted hold the major parties GST promises to account.”